If you're looking for the kind of sweet potato casserole that makes everyone come back for seconds, THIS IS IT! The roasted sweet potatoes come out silky, fluffy, and smooth with a cinnamon-walnut streusel on top. It's the perfect mix of crisp, cozy with just the right amount of sweetness. If you love Southern Sweet Potato Pie and pie crust, this recipe is for you.
It comes together with pantry staples and a couple of handfuls of walnuts. It's ready in under an hour, which means you can have that Southern-style comfort without spending all day in the kitchen.
Cree's Top Tips
- Pick the right sweet potatoes. Use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (often labeled yams, sweet potatoes, or red garnet sweet potatoes in grocery stores). They're naturally sweeter and mash up creamy without needing extra sugar.
- Roast or boil? Roasting gives a deeper flavor. Boiling works fine, but roasting the sweet potatoes first caramelizes their natural sugars.
- Use a hand-mixer or stand-mixer to blend the sweet potatoes until smooth, until all the strings are removed.
- After adding the ingredients to the blended sweet potatoes, do a taste test to adjust the sweetness or spice before topping with the cinnamon walnut streusel.
- I like to top my sweet potato casserole with plenty of streusel. Feel free to add as much (or as little) as you like.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This sweet potato casserole is easy to make and with a few simple steps you'll have something that smells like the holidays and tastes even better.
Roast the sweet potatoes until they're so tender you can glide a fork or knife right through them.
Blend the sweet potatoes until they're silky smooth and free of any strings. Then mix in the brown sugar, spices, and vanilla extract.
Pour the sweet potato filling into your casserole dish and spread it out evenly, so it bakes up nice and even.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the streusel ingredients.
Top the sweet potato layer with the cinnamon-walnut streusel, making sure it's spread evenly from edge to edge. Bake until the streusel is toasted and golden brown.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: You can prep the sweet potato filling up to a day ahead and refrigerate it. Keep the streusel in a separate container and sprinkle it on just before baking. Allow it to come to room temperature. Then, place it in a preheated 375°F oven uncovered until hot and streusel is toasted. Do not burn.
- To Store: Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Let it come to room temperature then warm in a 375°F oven for about 15-20 minutes.
Like my other holiday favorites such as Collared Greens and Black-Eyed Peas with Smoked Turkey, this dish reheats beautifully - perfect when you're juggling multiple sides.
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole with Cinnamon-Walnut Streusel
Sweet Potato Casserole with Cinnamon-Walnut StreuselEquipment
- Mixing bowl
- Hand mixer
- measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
- casserole dish
- Baking sheet
- Foil Paper
Ingredients
- 9 lbs. red sweet potatoes (yams or garnet red potatoes)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (light or dark brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar))
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-½ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon butter (clarified/ghee melted)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
Cinnamon Walnut Streusel
- 1-½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar (+ 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon butter (clarified/ghee melted)
- 1-¼ cups walnuts (finely chopped (optional))
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Scrub and dry the sweet potatoes, then prick them a few times with a fork.
- Let the roasted potatoes cool just until they're easy to handle, then slit them down the middle and scoop out the flesh. Transfer the flesh to a large bowl and blend until smooth and velvety, making sure to remove any strings.
- Then, add the brown sugar, spices, maple syrup, butter, or clarified butter. Spoon the sweet potato filling into a casserole dish, spreading it into a soft, even layer so it bakes evenly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. Pour in the melted butter. Using your fingertips, mix the ingredients until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Scatter the cinnamon-walnut streusel evenly over the sweet potato filling.
- Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and serve.
Notes
- Pick the right sweet potatoes. Use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (often labeled yams, sweet potatoes, or red garnet sweet potatoes in grocery stores). They're naturally sweeter and mash up creamy without needing extra sugar.
- Roast or boil? Roasting gives a deeper flavor. Boiling works fine, but roasting the sweet potatoes first caramelizes their natural sugars.
- Use a hand-mixer or stand-mixer to blend the sweet potatoes until smooth, until all the strings are removed.
- After adding the ingredients to the blended sweet potatoes, do a taste test to adjust the sweetness or spice before topping with the cinnamon walnut streusel.
- I like to top my sweet potato casserole with plenty of streusel. Feel free to add as much (or as little) as you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
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